Two of Diamonds, from the Transparent Playing Cards series (N220) issued by Kinney Bros. 1888

This 'Two of Diamonds' playing card comes from a series issued by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, around the turn of the 20th century. The card itself is made from thin, coated paper stock, printed with a simple design. But don't let its humble materials fool you. The production of these cards reflects the rise of industrial capitalism. Cigarette companies like Kinney Brothers churned out millions of these cards as promotional items. They were essentially miniature advertisements, mass-produced using industrial printing processes. The card's design is minimal, yet the red diamonds and numbers are standardized and efficiently rendered. This reflects the emphasis on speed and uniformity in industrial production. It might seem worlds away from a carefully crafted artwork, but consider the sheer volume produced and distributed: each card represents a tiny unit of capitalist enterprise, connecting to larger systems of labor, consumption, and leisure. So, next time you see a simple playing card, remember that even the most unassuming objects can tell us a lot about the culture and economy from which they emerged.